IN THE CORRIDORS

Some delegates thought the text that emerged from the Ministerial Group on forests was
very weak, given its ambiguity regarding when, or even if, an INC might be initiated.
Others, both delegates and NGOs, emphasized that a legally binding instrument was not
the only measure of strength of a proposal, and that 1999 might, in fact, be too soon to
accomplish all that the intergovernmental forum was being asked to do. Also, the
suggestion during the course of deliberations that financing for forests might be
contingent on agreement to an INC was resented by some, who noted that their position
was about more than money.